Dive Brief:
- Franklin Township School District will pay the family of a bullied student $75,000 and put aside at least $2,500 for an anti-bullying awareness program.
- The student, who wrote President George W. Bush about her bus time travails, claims she was bullied over her race and that when she went to her principal for help, he told her he didn't know what to do.
- After the student sent the letter in 2007, her parents filed a complaint with the New Jersey Attorney General's Office in which they alleged that discrimination, harassment, and intimidation were occurring within the district.
Dive Insight:
The district — which is 88% white, 8% black, 3% Latino, and 1% Asian — has not taken responsibility for the bullying, arguing that anything the student reported was investigated thoroughly. The school's superintendent, Troy Walton, released a statement saying that the district "takes pride in providing a safe, secure, and bully-free learning environment. Our students are actively engaged in programs that celebrate diversity. We recognize the importance of teaching tolerance and will continue to search for innovative programs that educate our children on the harmful effects of bullying."
Possibly more concerning than any bullying is the school's response. Denying inequalities exist means proper reflection is not occurring. If the school says a problem does not exist, how can that problem ever be fixed? No school is perfect and bullying may occur, but it is what the school does when instances of cruelty are reported that is most important. Denying realities and saying a school is "bully-free" is unrealistic. It is hard to teach tolerance if the underlying issues obscuring acceptance are ignored.